


Like a flower in the concrete, so beautiful and rare

by SevenKim



Category: The Haunting of Bly Manor (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Eventual Fluff, Eventual Smut, F/F, Falling In Love
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-27
Updated: 2020-11-27
Packaged: 2021-03-10 06:21:45
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,441
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27739864
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SevenKim/pseuds/SevenKim
Summary: Dani leaves America and starts her first teaching job at a primary school in England. She rents a house that looks like shit and needs someone to fix up her backyard. Turns out the school has a pretty cute gardener.
Relationships: Dani Clayton/Jamie
Comments: 1
Kudos: 55





	Like a flower in the concrete, so beautiful and rare

**Author's Note:**

> I was so blown away by this show and couldn't stop thinking about Dani and Jamie for a day. I ended up back here needing more of them. I started this with an idea in mind, but I am not sure where exactly it is going yet. I have never written a fanfic before and English isn't my first language, so please be kind :D. Let me know if you have any tips, ideas or suggestions, they are more than welcome! 
> 
> The title comes from the song ''you!'' by LANY. Really love it atm and I think it fits them perfectly.

It’s half past three on a Thursday and a bell rings in Danielle Claytons classroom. The sound of chairs sliding across the school’s scratched floor and the chatting of her students fill the classroom. Dani is staring through the window, letting an exhausted sigh slip through her lips. She moved to England only a week ago and has spent every free minute on painting, assembling furniture and trying to turn her rented house into a livable space. 

The photos in the ad she had responded to a few months ago must have been decades old, because when she first entered her new place all she could see were concrete walls, a whacked wooden floor and a huge pile of black sand behind the house that they dared to call a garden. She was happily surprised that the kitchen did meet her expectations, which had sunk lower than the hideous wooden floor already. The L-shape of the kitchen turned it into a space usable to cook in and allowed it to be used as a bar. She got two bar stools from a home depot nearby and even though it took her two hours and a lot of cursing to assemble them, they are her favorite piece of furniture in the house. For the past week she had been eating every breakfast and dinner at her kitchen bar and enjoyed it thoroughly. 

It was only a week ago that she had arrived and with some very friendly phone calls to the contractor, she managed to get her floor replaced by grey colored parquet that looked way more modern. Her arms were still sore from painting the walls white, which took her the entire weekend. She couldn’t wait to plop down on her comfy cognac couch and watch TV until she would fall asleep within a few minutes. 

A subtle knock on the classroom door startled her and made her realize she had been staring through the window for at least 15 minutes. ‘’Shall we move our meeting to tomorrow?’’, Hannah, the principle of the school, suggests. Dani’s cheeks turn red as she remembers their appointment, but before she could say anything Hannah speaks. ‘’You look like you could use some sleep’’. 

‘’I’m so sorry’’, Dani says softly, a little embarrassed. She met the principle on Monday for the first time, when she started her new job as a teacher. Hannah has the most welcoming personality and it made her feel at home from the start. They would have a progress meeting this afternoon to check in and discuss how everything was going, as it was her first official teaching job after finishing university in America. Even though Hannah was officially her boss, it felt more like a friendship to her already. They talked about their personal lives and Hannah even offered to help out with decorating her new place, an offer that Dani immediately took judging from the way the principal’s office looked. 

‘’Don’t worry about it, get some rest and I will see you tomorrow Dani’’, Hannah says with a polite smile before she walks away. 

Dani sighs again deeply and punishes herself mentally for what had just happened. She packs up her bag, puts on her coat and walks home. It’s only a ten minute walk to her place, she enjoys fresh air and it helps her to wake up a little. 

As she turns the final corner and walks into the street she lives in now, she hears someone screaming. When she gets closer she realizes the two kids that live next to her are running through the street screaming the name of their cat. The girl, called Flora, is crying and runs towards Dani as soon as she spots her. ‘’Miles wasn’t paying attention because he was playing stupid video games and now Viola is gone’’, Flora manages to get out through her tears. 

Dani hugs the little girl she had met on her first day in England and suggests to help them find their cute furry pet. Miles had run inside and is now shouting from a window upstairs. ‘’I see her! She is in your back garden Dani!’’. 

Dani fetches opens her door and walks inside with Flora. As they look through the window to the backyard, they spot Viola, sitting on top of the enormous pile of sand she has been cursing every single day. With a little patience and some funny sounds people tend to make to lure cats, they catch Viola and Dani brings the cat and the girl home. 

The hard work of the past week has paid off and Dani’s new place was almost finished. She decides to call it a day and go to bed straight after eating the leftovers from the delicious lasagna she made the day before. She wouldn’t consider herself a great chef but her grandma’s lasagna recipe is outstanding.

\---

The weather is great for a Friday morning in fall and Dani enjoys the way the sun touches her face as she is walking to work. ‘’Bloody hell!’’, she hears as she walks onto the school ground and she looks around, trying to find where the sound had come from. 

She left a little earlier this morning, hoping to speak to Hannah and apologize for yesterday before the classes start. Therefore, she wasn’t expecting to run into any teacher, parent or student just yet. A few seconds after the she heard the voice, she catches a glimpse of some denim overalls and some brown curls peaking out above the bushes that surround the school. 

‘’Are you alright?’’ Dani asks curiously and the owner of the overalls turns around.

‘’Oh, hey’’, the girls says as her squinted eyes catch Dani’s. Dani realizes she is holding her breath and tries to breath out slowly and carefully, hoping the girl doesn’t notice. The girl looks gorgeous in the sunlight Dani was just enjoying during her walk, and when the girl shows a beautiful smile to her she gets chills all over her body. 

‘’I just cut my arm instead of this branch, but I will live’’, she smirks and Dani breaks there eye contact to look at the girls arm. There is a stain of blood running down and Dani’s extremely worried look makes the girl laugh. ‘’Don’t worry Poppins, I have had worse. Guess it’s the risk of the job’’, the girl says jokingly. Dani is still not convinced and the girl walks towards her and wipes the blood away. 

‘’You should have someone look at that’’, Dani says sternly. 

‘’It’s all good, see’’, the girl says as she turns her arm to show Dani the small cut. ‘’You must be the new American teacher’’. 

Dani quickly reaches out her hand. ‘’Yes, I’m Dani Clayton’’. The girl looks at Dani’s hand and smiles at the suddenly formal gesture. She takes Dani’s hand and squeezes it softly.

‘’Jamie Taylor, I take care of the plants around here’’. The contact of their skin causes Dani’s body to tingle. She lets go of the beautiful girl’s hand and can still feel her own hand burning from the touch, in a good way. 

The sudden sound of a bell makes Dani’s eyes break away from Jamie’s and she realizes why she went to school earlier today. Dani didn’t want this unexpected interaction with this utterly stunning girl to end, but she really wanted to see the principle before the students arrived. ‘’I have to… I… I should go inside’’, Dani stumbled pointing at the entrance of the school awkwardly. 

‘’See you around, Poppins’’, Jamie winks and Dani looks down trying to hide the smile that is growing on her face. The way Jamie looks at her sends a jolt through Dani’s body and she feels her cheeks turning red. She walks away towards the school, focusing on the door to stop herself from looking back over her shoulder at the beautiful girl she just met. As she opens the door she can’t help but look and her eyes catch Jamie’s gaze, she sees a smile growing on Jamie’s face just before the girl turns away and picks up the pruning shear to get back to work.

Dani knew it was not the lack of sleep that was making it hard to focus today. She found herself staring out of the window countless times, hoping to catch a glimpse of the gardener. Unfortunately she didn’t. The day flew by and before she knew it she was sitting in Hannah’s office for her first week’s check in. It didn’t take long for the subject to switch to Dani’s almost finished house renovation and their plans for the weekend. Dani’s thoughts are drifting off again for the thousandths time that day. Reliving the touch of hands that made her heart flutter. Imagining the gardener’s cute smile that made her feel warm inside.

‘’We’re having a drink tonight with some colleagues, you should totally join’’. Hannah says, waking Dani up from her day dream. Dani was planning on spending the entire evening on her couch. She wanted to be well rested before attempting to start on making something from her hideous backyard the next day. However, it could be a good opportunity to make some new friends she thinks. 

‘’That sounds nice’’, she says, trying to convince herself that is what she wants. 

They chat some more about the other teachers such as Owen, who is the kindest and funniest guy according to Hannah. She thinks it might not be such a bad idea to get out of the house and agrees to meet them at the local pub later that night.

\---

A little later than planned, Dani entered the pub. She had been doubting what to wear, trying on several outfits before deciding on some casual black jeans and a white t-shirt that was just a tad see-through. 

There were a lot of things she was prepared for when she walked into the pub. She thought about the people that would be there, the things they could talk about and the drinks they would consume. 

What she did not expect was Jamie. 

The first thing she saw when she entered the space was the gorgeous girl sitting at the bar, faced the other way. She had changed her denim overalls for a pair of perfectly fitting jeans and a simple black t-shirt, catching Dani’s attention for a few long seconds. 

‘’Dani!’’, she hears Hannah calling from a table a few meters further and Jamie turns around. 

Jamie’s eyes catch hers and Dani feels her body tense as she sees a smirk appearing on the girl’s face. Dani gives the girl a quick smile as she recovers herself and walks towards Hannah. The woman introduces her to the people sitting with her at the table. They order some drinks and have some friendly conversations. Every now and then Dani glances her eyes towards the bar, flustered when she finds Jamie’s eyes catch hers. Owen is indeed very kind and doesn’t fail to make the entire table laugh with his jokes. 

Dani enjoys the gathering and tries to focus on a story that Rebecca, who teaches the class next to hers, is telling. However, she can’t stop herself looking for those beautiful green eyes again. Jamie is talking to another teacher she recognizes, not recalling his name, but they are laughing and seem to be having a good time. 

A few drinks later Dani feels the alcohol hitting her and notices that she is not the only one for whom talking becomes a little easier that way. She is complaining about her backyard again to Hannah and suddenly she sees the woman eyes widen, as if a great idea just popped into her mind.

Hannah turns sideways as searches the cozy room. ‘’Jamie!’’ she calls out and the girl turns around curiously. Dani looks at Jamie confusedly and then turns to Hannah, who is laughing at the face Dani is making. ‘’Help this girl out of her misery will you?’’ Hannah says as she gives Jamie a look that Dani cannot figure out. 

What Dani doesn’t know is that the principle and the gardener are actually close friends, and Jamie might have mentioned her encounter with the new American teacher to Hannah earlier that day.

Jamie shakes her head slowly at Hannah, realizing what the woman is doing. Dani, still confused, looks back and forth between the two women. Hannah gives Jamie a stern look and the girl seems to give in, a smirk appearing on her face. ‘’Alright’’ she says as she pats the empty barstool beside her. ‘’Sit down Poppins, I don’t bite… usually’’ she smirks. 

Dani can’t help herself again and her mind wanders off to thoughts that are most definitely not appropriate, considering she only met this girl today. Jamie is entertained by the effect her words had on Dani as she sees the heat rising to the blonde’s cheeks. 

‘’Lucky me’’, Dani smiles and she walks over to the bar, followed by Jamie’s eyes. It must have been the alcohol that caused their eye contact to last a little too long and Dani feels a wave of heat through her body as notices Jamie glancing her eyes over to the blonde’s lips. It was just a second, but Dani saw it and a smile grows on her face. Jamie feels caught and blushes, looking away for a second trying to recover herself. Jamie didn’t know why her heart was beating so fast inside her chest. The blonde made her nervous in a way that she had not felt before.

‘’So tell me about that problem of yours’’ she says quickly, before Dani could mention what had just happened. 

Dani isn’t much of a drinker, so the three glasses of beer she consumed had already kicked in. She is thankful for the alcohol calming her nerves, however, she is less enthusiastic about the way she has barely any control over the words she is saying. 

Jamie looks at the blonde curiously, waiting for an answer. Dani catches the girl’s captivating green eyes and the words flow out before she realizes.

‘’Why don’t you buy me a drink first?’’ she says with a daring smile. 

Jamie’s posture tenses and is taken aback by the unexpected answer. She knew there was something going on between the two of them. She had caught the blonde’s lingering stares from the table earlier that night and wondered if Dani felt the same electric tension when their knees brushed ‘accidentally’ every now and then. 

Jamie’s surprised look changes into a smirk and she raises an eyebrow.

“Blimey, Poppins, you flirt.”

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! I'm planning to write at least 1 or 2 more chapters... Let me know what you think :)


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